Superheated steam garment finisher



NOV. 14, 1950 E, c, M R 2,530,067

I SUPERHEATED STEAM GARMENT FINISHER Filed Dec. 13, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 .INVENTOR EDWARD O. MAURER ATTORNEY NOV. 14, 1950' E, c, M U 2,530,067

SUPERHEATED STEAM GARMENT FINISHER Filed Dec. 15, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDWARD c. MAURER ATTORN Y Nov. 14, 1950 E. c. MAURER SUPERHEATED STEAM GARMENT FINISHEK 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

Filed Dec. 13, 1945 INVENTOR EDWARD c.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPERHEATED STEAM GARMENT FINISHER Edward C. Maurer, St. Paul, Minn.

Application December 13, 1945, Serial No. 634,847

4 Claims.

a This invention relates to a new and improved and useful apparatus for garment steaming, sterilizing, reshaping, drying and finishing device.

The object of this invention as a complete device is to provide an efiicient apparatus for restoring dry cleaned or wet cleaned or wrinkled or shop worn garments to their proper size, shape and useable condition. The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and novel apparatus for producing and distributing superheated steam and air under pressure to fabrics and garments of various kinds, sizes and styles. The advantage of using superheated steam in a device of this kind is that unless the steam employed in steaming a garment is dry or superheated it may and often does cause shrinkage and distorts the original shape of the garment, affects the color and also requires considerable time to dry or cure and in other ways not produce a new, fresh and satisfactory appearance.

A feature resides in providing an extremely simple and inexpensive unit wherein superheated steam may be directed to the garment supported by the unit. The superheated steam is momentarily directed to an under-form over which the garment is draped and the steam passes through this cloth form to the material of the garment, steaming the same with very slight moisture of the superheated steam. This operation causes the garment form to expand to fill out the garment in a similar manner as a garment is filled out by the wearer. After momentarily steaming the garment by superheated steam, the blower is put into operation and hot air quickly dries the garment. The garment is usually brushed lightly while it is being subjected to th superheated steam and while drying so that all of the wrinkles will readily be brushed out and the garment is finished in a few moments.

This unit is designed to overcome the requirement for skilled laborers to press the garment and furthermore, the pressing of the garment is really not good for the same because it has a tendency to press the material of the fabric down fiat and even to make the same appear shiny unless a pressing cloth is interposed between the pressing iron. This unit overcomes these difficulties in an extremely simple manner.

The unit is provided with superheater coils which superheat live steam projecting against the same. A cylindrical shield surrounds the lower extremities of the coils and the outlet of the live steam. A blower is provided for directing air over the live steam outlet coils and the LII) 2 shield causes the air to pass upward over the superheated coils.

A central standard projects from the frame extending over the superheating coils and which is secured to the base portion of the unit. This central standard supports the cloth undergarment form. It is also a feature to provide an inlet valve for live steam together with check Valve means and a foot pedal for operating the inlet valve for the live steam. The base of the unit is cylindrical and is adapted to support arch-like pipe frame members which extend over the steam.

coils and which provide a support for the central standard. Th central standard holds the under garment cloth form draped over the entire 7 unit excepting the lower portion of the base and the blower unit which is positioned at one side of the cylindrical base, in close proximity thereto. The blower unit directs air into the base and up through the cylindrical shield within the arched framework of the unit. These features together with other details and objects of the invention will be more fully hereinafter set forth and defined.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

Figure 1 is a side View of my superheated steam garment finishing unit showing the under garment in dotted outline supported by the central standard which has a garment hanger at the top of the same.

Figure 2 is a plan view looking down on the unit shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2, showing an enlarged side elevation partly in section illustrating the operating parts of the unit and a portion of the blower housing.

Figure 4 is a back view in the opposite direction to Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Figure 4 in the direction of the arrows.

The superheated steam garment finisher A is provided with a sheet metal base Ill which is hollow and to one side of which is connected by the fiue II, an air blower I2. The blower I2 may be operated by an electric motor I3, and'is controlled by an electric switch I4.

Mounted on the base I0, I provide a frame I5 made of a series of pipes which extend upward from the base I0, and are formed with an arched top portion I6. The pipes 55 are connected by a suitable coupler at a common point H and projecting upward from the pipe coupler ii, I provid an upright pipe or rod standard I8. At the top of the standard I8, I mount a garment hanger IQ of any suitable form. Draped over the hanger is an under formed cloth shield 20. This shield is similar to a garment and may be drawn in at the Waist line 2! and is provided with a standard portion 22 which extends over the frame 15 covering the frame.

I provide steam superheater coils 23 positioned within the frame 15 and having the upper portion thereof supported by the coupler 24 directly below the connecting point l'l In this manner, the steam coils 23 are supported centrally within the frame l5.

Directly below the superheater steam pipes 23, I provide a live steam coil 25 connectedwith the steam inlet pipe 26. steam outlet holes 27. A valve 28 controls the flow of steam to the coil 25, and this valve is con; trolled by the foot pedal 29 which is connected by the lever 30 and the rod 3| to the steam inlet valve 28. W ,..W 1 he .o r t r. is es rii ec fl iye s eam out of the coil 25, she Simply presses with her foot onthe pedalie, whereupon live steam is directed againstthe coils 23.

In the operation of the superheated tion of the superheated steam garment finisher The coil 25 is formed with coils zs i provide a cylindrical shield 32. This shield confines thedraft of air close tothe superheating coils gt and causes the air to pass guiclgly t e per h i h i the under arm htlhh hi a s w Sthe u r-icing ram being drawn inward, or collapsed when the garth be me V r Th shh rh t ha s m so 2 are Qohhecte to the steam intakepipe 26 so that steam is cpntinuously passing through the coils 23. Tiredntake pipe Ziiextends upwardly to thetop pf the coil 23 and is co-aXially located in relation te thecoils 23. When the steam passes through the super heater coils, it then passes through the pipe 33 which isconnected through the check valve M to theoutlet pipe 35, t u

The lowerend of the inlet pipe 25 is provided. with a drain se which connects with the check valve 37! and which in turn is connected with the outlet pipe 35. Thus a built-in steam separator'is provided which is of primary importance in the operation of my machine.

In operatiom'a garment to be finished by my superheated steam garment finisher is slipped over "the under-form 20, draping down overt he skirt 22. While the garmentis in this position theoperator of the machine A'p resses on the foot pedal 2%} and momentarily directslive steam over the coils 23 which superheat the steam. Whilethe garment is being steamed in this man-i ner,, it usually is brushed lightly so as to make the garment lie'smooth over the under-form, and as soon as the operator releases the foot pedal 29, the live steam is cutoff, and the air blower is put'into operation. This causes air to pass over the superheater coils 23 which quickly superheat the air and dry the garment. The advantages ofusing superheated steam in a garment finisher of this character resides in the fact that the garment being steamed is not treated with too much moisture but'rather is iii) 4 treated by a dry steam rather than wet steam and therefore, the garment may be dried much quicker right while it is on the form 20.

Furthermore, by using superheated steam there is virtually little or no danger of shrinking the garment, or distorting its original shape, nor is the color of the garment affected. Furthermore, the time required to finish a garment is materially reduced as compared to old forms of finishers. "The'for n 29' may be co'iitracted and reduced around the'waist'line 2|, or at anybth'er point (not shown) by any suitable means such as a draw-cord or any suitable means of contracting the diameter of, the under form. Then, when it is desird'to finish a larger garment, the form 29 may be 'eiipanded into the size of the dress being finished.

Theeonstrue'tronbr my garment finisher is extremely simple. The operation is simple, and anyone can learn to use the finisher A in a very short t e h e io fin shin a arme is muehshorter than with t the old form of de; vi hlhrther hhra the i team sv fined i t a hs r xim ty.. i the u e h t r. c.0118 a lthus h act on o e ea a the am t s. pl e .Irah l a vi tual y re ces the po il y o .l v v t s am 9 ins i qo ta with the garment. This is an extremely important feature of my garment' finisher and it provides a long-felt want.

I m; g.

l. A superheated steam garment finisher com prising a hollow base portion, an air blqwerjn close proximity to said base and connected by an air flue, steam inlet and outlet pipesga live steam outlet coilpositioned above said base and having openings put of which live steam may escape, avalve and foot pedal for opera-tingthe same adapted to admit livesteam to said live steam coil, a series of superheater steam coils connected to said steam inlet and positioned di rectly above saidlivesteam coil with steam outlets, means for supporting the top of said superheater coils, and an archedframe formed by -rodlike members supported in said'base and extending pver said super "heater coils, aigarment-supporting rod projectingjfrom the apex of said arched frame'and adapted to support an under form over which a garment is adapted to be placed forjfinishing the same, andjafcylindrical shield resting upon thetop ofsaid base and extending around a large portion of said superheater coilsand surrounding said live steam outlet coil to direct the. air from said blower to said superheater coils 'and to "expand an undergarment supported on said-finisher 2. A superheated. steam garment-finisher comprising concentric helical steam "superheating coils connected to a source 'of live steam, a live steam outlet coil positioned directly below'-'and within the diameter of said superheating coils, an air bloweradapted to blow air over said surh t hg i ashi lcl f r qo fini et 'e li steam from said live steam outlet;coil into close proximity with said superheating coils, and means forsupportinga garment adapted tobe finished over said superheatedsteam garment finisher, and means to'direct dry steam to the garment momentarily and'then to direct hot air from saidsuperheating' coils to thoroughly dry the garment before it is "removed fromsaid superheated steam garment finisher.

v 3. A garment'finishingunit adapted to receive garments. a armr t s o t su d r "f m draped over said support, a superheating means including concentric helical coils within the base portion of said garment finishing unit, a live steam outlet positioned directly below and within the outline of said superheating means, means for releasing live steam over said superheating means and in turn directing superheated steam to the garment to soften the same by dry superheated steam, and a cylindrical sleeve extending annularly around and in close proximity to said live steam outlet and the lower portion of said superheating means to confine the steam from said outlet in close proximity to said superheater means and overcome the vacuum at the base of said superheating means and live steam outlet and prevent the garment and form from being drawn inwardly during the steaming operation and drying of the garment.

4. A garment finishing unit comprising a cylindrical base, a lower cylindrical air chamber formed in said base, an air blower positioned to one side of said cylindrical air chamber, an electric motor for operating said blower to force air into said cylindrical air chamber, a double steam coil having a conical-like formation positioned above said cylindrical base, a cylindrical shield extending around the lower end of said steam coil and adapted to rest on the top of said cylindrical base, a circular live steam outlet pcsitioned within said shield and closely adjacent the lower end of said double steam coil, a domelike skeleton frame arched over said double coil and shield adapted to support the top of said double coil and to provide a central standard support for a garment hanger.

EDWARD C. MAURER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,216 Rothholz Dec, 19, 1893 730,164 Sarfert June 2, 1903 1,608,343 Silverman Nov. 23, 1926 1,659,097 Gygi Feb. 14, 1928 1,789,213 Byrne Jan. 13, 1931 1,796,866 Gott et a1 Mar. 17, 1931 2,075,724 Jacobs Mar. 30, 1937 2,140,961 Lendle Dec. 20, 1938 2,213,288 Pungor Sept. 3, 1940 2,214,923 Glover, Jr Sept. 17, 1940 2,273,119 Lichterman Feb. 1'7, 1942 2,317,924 Lendle Apr. 27, 1943 2,338,776 Miller Jan. 11, 1944 2,378,565 Locke et al June 19, 1945 

